


More Than Convenience

by mieraspeller



Series: Arranged Marriage AU [4]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 12:26:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3290288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mieraspeller/pseuds/mieraspeller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arranged marriage au -- canon divergent around late s1. Unbeta'd.</p>
            </blockquote>





	More Than Convenience

"We've already lost three people to hypothermia," Clarke says patiently. Octavia stops outside the tent when she hears Bellamy scoff loudly. "If we don't have shelter and food we'll all be dead before anyone from the Ark lands."

"This is bullshit!" Bellamy must have kicked the tent pole, because the whole tent shudders. "We don't need this. Someone else can-"

"Octavia volunteered," Raven reminds them. Octavia grins. She knew there was a reason she liked that girl.

"Because of that damn grounder-"

"Hey! This is the best thing for all of us. Or would you rather your sister freeze or starve to death? We're lucky the grounders are even doing this considering what we did to Lincoln and the bridge." Finn finishes his little self righteous tirade and Bellamy lets out a string of curses and storms out of Raven's tent. Octavia leans back out of the light as he stomps off.

"Really, Finn?" Clarke says, before following Bellamy out of the tent. Octavia trails a few yards back - close enough to hear, but still far enough they wouldn't immediately notice her.

Clarke catches up with him at the fence and puts a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Bellamy. If there was any other way for s to live in peace-"

"I know."

"Maybe you should talk to Octavia again."

At that, Octavia steps forward. "Good thinking."

Bellamy jerks up and turns to face her. Clarke raises her hands and backs away. "I'll let you two talk."

"O-"

"No, it's your turn to listen. Actually listen." She pulls him over to one of the makeshift tree stump chairs and pushes him down. "I don't want to die. I don't want you or them," she jerks a thumb towards the dropship,"or even the grounders to die. Trigedakru," she corrects herself. "We need them. We have no idea what we're doing here, and they've survived for a century on earth." 

Bellamy looks up at her than out to the woods, face pulled into a stubborn frown.

"And... I like Lincoln. We work. I think if we can all just get over ourselves, this can work. We can learn from each other."

"You're my baby sister. I promised I would take care of you." Bellamy reaches up and touches one of the braids Lincoln had put in her hair.

"It's my turn to take care of you." She ignores the wetness around Bellamy's eyes and pulls him into a hug.

 

\---

 

Octavia tries not to fidget as Anya supervises three Trigeda who truss her into armor and tug at her hair none too gently. She imagines the same thing happening in Lincoln’s tent, with Clarke, Bellamy, and another warrior, Indra, and has to stifle a snort of laughter. Anya narrows her eyes at Octavia. 

“This is to show that you are ready to fight for your partner and your union. Do you find it amusing?”

“No! I’m just --” She’s not sure if she should admit to nervousness, but Anya is still looking at her suspiciously, so she goes for it. “It’s my wedding day. It’s a little nerve wracking.” 

“Hmm.” Anya tilts her head, then nods. “Yes. It will only get worse. Commander Lexa will be attending to officiate and parley with your leader.” She jerks her head at the tent opening, and all three of the silent attendants leave simultaneously. 

Octavia’s eyes widen. She had heard stories from Lincoln about the Commander who had brought the twelve (clans? tribes?? peoples???) together. Great, now she was going to look like an idiot in front of the head honcho. She’s knocked out of her own thoughts when Anya paces a slow circle around Octavia, eyes narrowed. 

“Hm. You won’t shame us this day.” Octavia straightens and bites the insides of her cheeks to keep from looking too smug. Then Anya stands back and crosses her arms. “Lincoln is my brother. If you hurt him I will kill you, regardless of any alliance.” 

Octavia swallows thickly and nods. Suddenly she feels a lot more sympathetic towards Lincoln.

 

\--

 

The ceremony feels like it lasts forever, but it probably takes a total of five minutes. Octavia meets Lincoln in the middle of the clearing, Anya providing helpful jabs in her back to direct her. A young woman with a thick black bar painted across her eyes waits in the middle, with two more warriors behind her. Bellamy is following Lincoln. There are archers in the trees, in case they are attacked during the ceremony. Another reason, Lincoln had told her, that they wear armor.

“Ai laik Heda Lexa kom Trigedakru,” the woman says, and Octavia tries not to stare at her in surprise. The Commander looks to be the same age as she is. Instead she looks to Lincoln, who smiles encouragingly at her. 

She’s not fluent enough in tridgedasleng to catch everything the Commander says, but Anya had run through the ceremony before they dressed her, and there’s a lot about providing for one another. She catches sight of Clarke standing in the circle of kids and Trigeda surrounding them, and recognizes Indra, leaning over and speaking lowly to her with a pinched expression.

Catching the phrase “gonplei ste on,” that Anya had repeated three times coming from the Commander and Lincoln is nodding firmly, and then Lexa is looking expectantly at Octavia. 

She nods and Lincoln pulls her into a hug. And that’s it. They follow Commander Lexa and her warriors from the clearing and back to the village where they will feast. Hopefully no one gets drunk and starts a fight. But they will learn to survive here -- learn to live here. Octavia leans into Lincoln’s side.

They will fight for each other until their fight is over.


End file.
